


Post Script

by gemzies



Series: Colliding By Design [4]
Category: World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: Awkwardness, Kayfabe Compliant, M/M, Surprises, could be the start of something more, set immediately after the Mar. 10 2021 episode of NXT, subtle acknowledgements of feelings, unspoken feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-14
Updated: 2021-03-14
Packaged: 2021-03-23 00:15:13
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 528
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30046977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/gemzies/pseuds/gemzies
Summary: Finn was not prepared to find Kyle O’Reilly in his locker room.
Relationships: Finn Balor | Prince Devitt/Kyle O’Reilly
Series: Colliding By Design [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2179758
Comments: 5
Kudos: 11





	Post Script

**Author's Note:**

> ...I swear I never intended this to be a semi-weekly series. But here we are.
> 
> Title from the Finch song of the same name.

Finn felt like he was prepared for just about anything after the way his match ended that night, and all the chaos that ensued from there.

Finn was not prepared to find Kyle O’Reilly in his locker room.

He observed the younger man as he slowly looked up after Finn opened the door. A small, apologetic smile that didn’t reach Kyle’s eyes formed as he met Finn’s gaze, slightly hunched over in his chair as he held an ice pack to his neck. Another ice pack rested on the floor beside him, the denim vest he’d been wearing was draped haphazardly over the back of the chair.

“Sorry,” Kyle said, his soft voice startling Finn out of his thoughts. “I don’t have my own anymore, and I thought…” he trailed off, his voice breaking as the weight of the situation settled over him again.

Finn shook his head. “Don’t worry about it.” He finally moved into the room, taking a seat in the second chair that he was pretty sure hadn’t been in the room before his match. The second chair that was placed a little too close to where Kyle sat to be coincidence.

Kyle leaned over after Finn had gotten comfortable, picking up and offering Finn the other ice pack. “Here. Figured you’d have blown off the medics.”

Finn snorted. He wasn’t wrong, and somewhere in the back of his mind he wondered when the other man had started to know him so well. “Thanks,” he muttered as he accepted the ice pack and placed it gently to his jaw. A silence settled between the two of them, awkward but not uncomfortable, until Finn couldn’t help himself. “You okay?”

Kyle’s eyes drifted down to his feet, and he let out a heavy sigh. “I will be,” he answered, the words tainted by defeat but also laden with promises and determination.

“Look,” Finn started, tilting his head to attempt to catch Kyle’s eye. “I know you know my injury history. I have no moral ground to stand on here,” he said. His free hand unconsciously went up towards his shoulder, running over the scar that served as a permanent reminder of what was both the best and worst moment of his career. He swallowed, and then cautiously reached out and placed that hand on Kyle’s knee. “But please be careful.”

Kyle finally looked up, dark eyes searching Finn’s own. He reached out and briefly took Finn’s hand, squeezing it gently, before pushing himself up and out of his chair. He took the few steps to the door, but then paused before exiting. Kyle gave a pointed look at the NXT title where Finn had placed it down on the floor beside his chair, and then looked back at the Irishman. His gaze softened as they made eye contact again, something warm and genuine hiding in it that made Finn’s stomach flip. “Same to you.”

Finn nodded his acknowledgement with a hint of a smile. To Finn’s surprise and delight Kyle returned the smile briefly before heading out, leaving Finn to think about what he said – and what he _didn’t_ say – and the other events of the night.

**Author's Note:**

> This one’s a shorter one, but I just couldn’t get the mental image of it out of my mind.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


End file.
